Moving On
by YellyBelly
Summary: Set immediately after The Dearly Beloved. The traumatized teens struggle with the aftermath of the shooting. Add Theresa to the mix and the real fun begins. RM.
1. The Long Night

Disclaimer: I obviously don't own The O.C. or its characters…that all belongs to Josh Schwartz (what a lucky man!).

A/N: This is a continuation of the way things left off during the season finale.

"Trey stop it! You're killing him! Please…stop!" Marissa cried hysterically.

Trey swung at her and she fell back, desperately searching for a way to stop him. He was choking Ryan to death and Ryan wasn't strong enough to fight back. Her eyes scanned the room until she noticed a gun. Quickly she grabbed it and aimed it at his back. She closed her eyes and shot just as Trey was about to smash Ryan's skull in with the telephone that he pulled out of the wall.

Trey froze, as if he were in slow motion and noticed the red blood oozing out of his chest. He grabbed his heart and rolled over. Ryan, using all the strength he had in him, half crawled, half walked over to Marissa who was slumped against the wall. He hunched over next to her and she looked at him sympathetically.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I-I had no other choice. I didn't know what to do…" she began to apologize.

Ryan reached for her hand and stroked it quietly. "I know," he replied equally as softly. "I love you."

Marissa pulled his head into her lap and stroked his hair softly. They sat there in a trance, when suddenly the door swung open, revealing Seth and Summer. They were holding hands, and each had a panicked look plastered across their faces. Seth immediately noticed Trey lying in the corner and the bloodstain in the middle of the carpet. Then his gaze landed on Ryan and Marissa. Ryan lay in Marissa's arms battered, bruised and significantly bloodied up. Summer stared at her friends in shock, one hand over her mouth and the other holding onto Seth's tightly.

Slowly, Seth walked over to the two traumatized people and kneeled by them.

"Ry, man are you okay? What happened? Should I call an ambulance?" he asked his voice breaking.

Marissa nodded her head, a lump forming in her throat. "I'm sure one's on the way already after all that commotion."

Seth reached into his back pocket for his cell phone. "I'll call…just in case."

Tears stung Summer's eyes as she gazed at her friends. Marissa was a ghostly white and Ryan's face was covered in sticky blood. She tilted her head back towards Trey and gulped. "Is he…you know?"

Marissa lowered her head and buried it in Ryan's hair, sobs wracking her body. Summer stared at her and realized that Trey was indeed dead.

"Coop, what happened?"

"She saved my life," came Ryan's barely audible voice.

Summer turned to Seth who had just closed his cell phone. "The paramedics are on their way. Um, what else can we do?" Seth was trying his hardest not to lose his cool and panic.

"Seth, calm down," Summer advised, resting her hand on his shoulder. "Maybe we should call your dad?" she asked.

"Good idea, he'll know what to do. Besides, they'll need a lawyer present," Seth nodded his head.

Marissa lifted her head. "_Why_? I mean, Trey almost killed him and he's already hurt me, why would we need a lawyer?"

"It's just a precaution, Coop. Sandy knows how to deal with these kinds of things," Summer tried to settle Marissa down; she was already worked up enough as it was.

Seth and Summer sat down next to Ryan and Marissa, their backs rested against the cold wall. Their hands were clasped together tightly, and Summer's head rested on his shoulder. Marissa continued to hold Ryan, gently running her fingers through his hair. Ryan just laid there, his face void of any emotion. Every so often he would murmur "it's going to be okay" in effort to keep Marissa from hyperventilating. She was in shock that she had actually pulled the trigger and at the same time she felt relieved that Ryan was still alive and that his sociopath of a brother couldn't hurt them anymore. Finally they all heard sirens in the distance that continued to get louder and louder. Eventually it stopped in front of the apartment and the teenagers could see silhouettes of red and blue flashing lights illuminate the walls. Four paramedics and a handful of police officers burst through the door and they saw a deceased Trey lying curled up in a ball, across the room from the trembling teens. Seth stood up, and offered Summer his hand. She took it gratefully and stood beside him ready to answer the many questions that were sure to come.

One of the paramedics lifted Trey up onto a stretcher and covered him in a black body bag. Marissa cringed and then stared off into space, wishing that the horrendous night would end.

"What happened here?" The police officer who was questioning Seth and Summer asked in a husky voice.

"The guy over there," Summer began, pointing at Trey's dead figure. "He tried to rape my friend, Marissa. Her boyfriend came here when he found out what had happened and they got into a fight. The man over their, his name is Trey and he was beating Ryan to death. Even if she had called the police there is no way that you would have gotten here in time. The only way Marissa could stop him was by using the gun. I'm sure she didn't want to kill him, she just wanted him to get off Ryan."

The policeman glanced over at Ryan and Marissa. "Are those two the friends you're talking about?"

"Yes, sir," Seth answered.

"I'll need to take you all in for questioning but first they need to be checked out at the hospital. Do your parents know what happened?"

"I called my dad, but Marissa's parents have no idea," Seth said.

"I'll call Coop's mom," Summer offered, taking her cell phone out of her purse, she began to dial Julie's number.

Two paramedics went over to Ryan and Marissa.

"I need to get him on the stretcher," a medic informed Marissa. "Do you know if he has any injuries to his back, if so I don't want to move him."

"I-I'm not sure…Ry, is your back all right?" Marissa questioned, she continued to soothingly run her fingers through his matted hair.

"It's mostly my face and neck that's injured. He strangled me…and I can hardly move. It hurts to breathe. I think my ribs are broken," Ryan struggled for air.

The EMS workers carefully placed Ryan on a stretcher, wrapping a brace around his neck, to keep it still.

"Miss, are you able to stand or walk?" another person asked Marissa.

"I think so," she said, attempting to stand up. Her knees were wobbly and as she stood, her eyes rolled to the back of her head and her knees buckled. She fell to the floor, causing all heads to turn.

"Oh My God, Coop!" Summer screeched, rushing over to her best friend. She shook her gently to and fro. "Come on, Riss wake up. Baby, open your eyes."

A paramedic gently pushed Summer aside. "Ma'am please refrain from touching the patient."

"What's wrong with her?" she cried.

Seth ran over to Summer's side and wrapped his arm around her shoulder, comfortingly.

"She just fainted. Nothing to worry about, she's just in shock. And rightfully so, she was scared senseless!" A paramedic responded to Summer's questions.

"I need you two to come down to the station. Are your parents going to meet you there?" an officer asked them.

"Yes…my dad's a lawyer," Seth added.

"Come along," The officer commanded. Seth kept his arm around Summer's shoulder as they followed the man outside. It was pitch black and the stars were shining brightly, which was a welcomed change of scenery compared to the crime scene which was once Trey's apartment. They could still hear the ambulance sirens blaring, as they got into the backseat of the patrol car. They silently rode to the police station, all of the while worrying about the well being of their two friends who were headed to the hospital.

A/N: This is the first O.C. Fan-Fic that I've ever posted. It's quite a scary thing to do, putting your stories online for strangers to read. Please be kind, and review! I'm not sure if I should keep this going or not…so let me know what you think. I know this chapter was significantly short, however if you like the story and want me to write more, the chapters will get longer…I promise.


	2. Aftermath

Disclaimer: I obviously don't own The O.C. or its characters…that all belongs to Josh Schwartz—brilliant man, that he is!

A/N: Thank you all for your wonderful reviews. They were really encouraging and uplifting! If you have any suggestions or ideas for the story, just let me know. :0)

The next morning Marissa sat in a chair, staring off into space, her eyes occasionally glancing around the private hospital room she was staying in. Her mangled hair stuck to the sides of her sweaty face, and she was dressed in the typical white hospital gown, which matched the color of her pale skin. Marissa's eyes were red and puffy—from crying the entire night, and her normally sparkling blue orbs were glossed over and had lost their usual gleam.

Her head was spinning, thoughts constantly running through her mind. One moment she felt wracked with guilt, while the other she wanted to heave a sigh of relief that Ryan was safe, and that no one else had been harmed. Her head throbbed from the lack of sleep—she had tossed and turned the night before. Every time she closed her eyes, in attempt to get some rest, flashbacks of the shooting came flooding back to her. She desperately tried to erase the image of Trey falling to the ground, taking his last breath, looking at her in amazement—not many people thought Marissa Cooper was capable of such bold actions.

Of course, when she had picked up the weapon and aimed it at him, she really hadn't been thinking clearly. All she knew was that she had to get him off Ryan, and quickly. She couldn't just stand there and watch as the person she loved most in the world was beaten to a pulp. The rage she felt towards Trey at that moment was overpowering. All of the pent up emotions that she had been keeping inside had just lashed out of her.

Although, Ryan didn't seem mad at her…in fact he hadn't said much of anything to anyone that night, yet she was still petrified of seeing him. How could she look him in the eye? She had _killed_ his brother. Then again, who knows how far Trey would have gone. Would he have killed his only sibling, in a moment of blind rage? No one would ever know…because she had pulled the trigger, and now he was gone. He was never coming back, and she faced murder charges. Marissa shuddered, and pulled her knees up to her chest, feeling a strong urge to cry. As much as she hated him for everything he had done to her, to Ryan, The Cohen's, despite it all she hadn't meant for him to die. She had been terrified and caught up in the moment, but would a Grand Jury—or a Judge for that matter, believe her story? After all, Ryan had been the one to initiate the fight, he was understandably upset, but couldn't the prosecution make it seem like she and Ryan were the guilty ones?

Suddenly her thoughts were interrupted by a soft knock on the door. She slowly turned her head around to see who her visitor was. Jimmy stood in the doorway, wearing a sympathetic, fatherly look. His brow was wrinkled up, and it appeared that he was exhausted. She offered him a pitiful smile, and he walked over to her, seating himself in a chair next to her.

"Hey, Kiddo. How're you holding up?" he asked, observing the distressed state that she was in.

Marissa couldn't hold it in anymore, so she let all of the emotions that had been bottled up inside of her for the past few weeks out. She crumpled over into his arms, sobbing loudly. Hot tears rolled down her face, staining Jimmy's shirt. He just held her to him, and ran his hand through her hair, whispering comforting words into her ear. He rocked her back and forth, feeling like crying himself. He hated seeing his eldest daughter so upset. She was his precious little girl, his first child, his baby. He regretted leaving Newport—as refreshing as it was to start over, it had not been the most responsible thing to do. He felt sick to his stomach as he realized how his actions had affected his daughter. He had left her alone, to fend for herself, after she had given up everything for him, so that he could keep his restaurant, his apartment. How did he repay her? He had run away.

Meanwhile, Sandy sat in the hospital waiting room, with a very distressed and impatient Julie. Seth and Summer had left an hour or so ago, exhausted from a long night of questioning. Sandy resided in an uncomfortable seat, across from Julie who occupied an entire couch, her legs crossed daintily. She had been talking nonstop since he had gotten there. He understood that she was upset, but God did that woman ever shut up? She was going on and on about something or other, but Sandy had long since tuned her out. He had enough to deal with as it was.

He thought back to the night before. He had been driving home after dropping Kirsten off at the rehabilitation clinic, when he received a call from Seth. At first he assumed that the boys were just calling to see how she was doing, then he heard his son's panicked voice on the other end of the phone and he just knew that something was wrong. The traffic had been atrocious, however Sandy eventually made his way to the police station, where Summer and Seth were at. He had made them tell him every miniscule detail of the shooting, and had accompanied them in the interrogation room, where The D.A. had tried to use the two innocent teenagers as scapegoats. By the time he had made it to the hospital, it was already the next morning. He had visited Ryan, but immediately noticed that the boy wasn't up for talking—not that he ever was a person of many words—but his silence was deafening. Sandy tried to get him to speak to him about the events of the night before, however Ryan expertly changed the subject (no doubt, he had learned that move from Seth) and asked him if Kirsten was settling in, and if Marissa was holding up. Eventually Sandy decided to leave him alone for a little while, and let Seth give it a whirl at getting through to him.

He sighed in exasperation, and rested his elbows on his knees. He couldn't seem to wrap his mind around what was happening. At the beginning of the year, he was so hopeful that things were going to get better. The boys had come home, Kirsten's mood had eased up, and the workers had finally finished redecorating the house. Then Cal dropped the bombshell that he wasn't as faithful as he had led everyone to believe. They added another member to their family, Lindsay. That was when things really started to go downhill. Of course, it didn't help matters when Rebecca had come back. He had put such a strain on their already deteriorating marriage, however he had thought that he was doing the right thing, by helping Rebecca. Sandy blamed himself. He blamed himself for _everything_. He felt that it was his fault, for not heeding Ryan's warnings about Trey. If he hadn't brought the boy home with him, then none of them would be in such a sitch. He felt as if he should have realized Kirsten's drinking problem sooner. She was his wife, he knew everything about her… so then why was it that it took him such a long time to realize that she was in serious trouble, and needed him?

He had finally taken action and had gotten her help. Hopefully she would recover, but only time would tell. Sandy felt a lump forming in his throat as he pondered over how he was going to break this latest piece of news to her. No phone calls for seventy-two hours, the nurse had informed him. He couldn't get a hold of her for _seventy-two_ hours, it sounded like such an extensive period of time to him. Sandy desperately needed to talk to her, apologize for everything he had put her through. Then he realized that even if he could call her, this very moment…what exactly would he say to her? "Oh, hi honey. How are you doing? By the way, Ryan's in the hospital, and Trey is dead at the hands of Marissa Cooper." No…he couldn't bear telling her such news over the telephone. As much as he needed her right now, he also needed her to get better, and not just for his sake. He would just have to wait until Kirsten was allowed to have visitors, to fill her in on the goings on.

Julie continued to ramble on incessantly, pausing every few minutes or so to make sure that Sandy was listening. She realized that he wasn't, and impeded on his thoughts.

"Sandy? Have you been paying any attention to what I've been saying?" she asked, slightly annoyed.

Sandy shook his head, and answered. "Honestly, Julie. I have enough to worry about at the moment." He turned his gaze towards a window, which was across the room from them, and resumed thinking about what was to come.

A/N: Okay, so that was Chapter Two. I didn't plan on writing so much about Sandy, but as I started to think about things, I realized that his brain must have been on overdrive. Next chapter will be more focused on Ryan and his feelings, and maybe some S/S bonding. Please, give me your honest opinion of this chapter. I know it contained a lot of narration but my next post will definitely involve a lot of dialogue.


	3. Ryan's Repercussions

Disclaimer: I obviously don't own The O.C. or its characters…that all belongs to Josh Schwartz—brilliant man, that he is!

A/N: Again, thank you all so very much for the wonderful reviews I received on chapter two. I'm open to suggestions as to where you think the story should go. You all rock:0)

KC-Chick- A special thanks to you for your especially kind words!

Ryan lay on his back, staring expressionlessly up at the plain white ceiling. There were so many emotions running through his mind, he couldn't keep track of them. His head felt cloudy, and his body ached from head to toe. He was clearly in shock from what had happened the day before.

He felt numb…his brother was dead…and Marissa had shot him. He cringed as the image of Trey holding the telephone over his head, preparing to smash it into his skull, submerged into his brain. He closed his eyes as his memory drifted back to that night. He was so enraged that he couldn't control his anger. When he had told Seth that he was going to settle things with Trey, once and for all, he took into account Seth's face; fear had encompassed it. As he drove to his brother's apartment, he couldn't seem to make the car go fast enough. He wanted Trey to hurt the way that he had made Marissa hurt, he wanted to make him pay for forcing him into that car heist, for lying to him and The Cohen's, for stealing from the charity auction, but most of all he wanted Trey to beg for forgiveness.

When Seth had first informed him of what his brother had done, he had hoped that it had been a joke—a sick, cruel joke nonetheless, though it was better than it being true. He felt so guilty for leaving Marissa alone with him, he winced as he pictured her fighting him off, she was so fragile and he hated to think about what would have happened if Marissa hadn't been able to save herself. He blamed himself; after all he of all people knew what Trey was capable of. Deep down, he knew that Trey had never stopped using or dealing for that matter. Not only had he been stoned when he tried to rape her, he was also ten times stronger than her. If Ryan had just stayed in Newport, none of this would have happened, was his figuring. He couldn't seem to understand why anyone would want to hurt Marissa. What had caused Trey to act out, the way he had? Did he have feelings for her? Even if he had been attracted her, nothing could justify his actions.

Another part of him wanted to break down and cry, his only blood sibling was dead, gone forever, never coming back. What was he going to tell Dawn? Who was going to handle Trey's funeral? Did he even deserve one? He supposed that even scum like his brother ought to have a decent burial. Would Dawn hate him; blame him? How was he even going to find her…Ryan hadn't even heard from his mother since last August, when she had left him with complete strangers, of course they definitely weren't strangers anymore. It hurt him so badly that Trey had held a gun to his head; would he have really shot Ryan in the back? At first, he really was going to leave, not that he wanted to admit it but it had scared the hell out of him when Trey aimed the revolver at him. Then, his rage got the best of him and he just couldn't let him get away with it. Trey had it coming to him, and he figured he'd set him straight with a few good blows to the face, so that he'd learn his lesson. He had never meant to kill him, although the look on his face when he had lunged for his brother seemed to say differently.

He was also worried about how Marissa was holding up. She was most likely on a guilt trip, and probably blamed herself. He didn't hate her—far from it, she had saved his life. When he heard the gun go off, he froze. At first, he wasn't even sure who had fired it, was it Trey, Marissa, a police officer? Where was the bullet headed? Was he going to die? Then he saw Trey's alarming expression change to that of fear. Dark blood spewed out of his chest, and Ryan instantly realized that his brother was the one who had been shot. Trey's face had filled with pain, and he grabbed his chest, looking hopelessly at Ryan to save him. He had dropped to the ground, clutching the area, which was wounded, and Ryan rolled out of the way as quickly as possible.

Why did things have to end so drastically? The many emotions that Ryan was experiencing made him want to scream. He suffered from an intense feeling of guilt, he regretted initiating such a brawl with Trey—yet at the same time he didn't. For the first time in a long time, Ryan wanted to just curl up and cry. However, he wouldn't allow himself to do that, he was supposed to be strong, invincible, a rock. Instead, he permitted one, single, solitary tear to run down his face, before quickly wiping it away. Things were just starting to get back on track, why did his brother have to show up and ruin it all? His relationship with Marissa was better than ever, school was going well, Seth had already mapped out their entire summer plans for him, and now…everything was ruined…life would _never_ be the same again.

Back at The Cohen mansion, Seth and Summer occupied the pool house. They sat next to each other on Ryan's futon, their hands clasped together. They were still in the clothes that they had worn the day before. Summer hadn't even complained, which surprised Seth immensely because he figured that wearing the same clothes two days in a row, was tacky and in Summer's book, registered as an "Ew!"

"Cohen…" she murmured softly, "how do you think they're doing?"

"Ryan and Marissa? Well, I attempted to talk to Ryan last night and I couldn't get more than two words out of him. He just asked me to leave him alone and go away…so I did," Seth answered.

"Did it ever occur to you that maybe he _does_ want to talk to you, he just can't find the right words? I mean, he's Chino. You're lucky if you can get an entire sentence out of him on a good day, you know? Ryan may be tough as nails, but losing his brother…that's got to be _so_ hard on him. I mean, I'm an only child so I don't really know how he feels, but I can imagine that losing a sibling has got to be like losing a part of yourself," Summer said wisely.

"He'll talk when he's ready. Ryan's got to do things in his own time. I'm not sure what's going through his mind right now…I don't even know what to say to comfort him. We both know that I usually have such a way with words, but when I was face to face with him, I was speechless," Seth responded, lying back on a pillow, Summer following in his suit.

"Well, that's a first Cohen," she teased him playfully.

They lay side by side, a comfortable silence taking over. Summer scooted closer to Seth and rested her head on his chest. He gently stroked her back and they stayed in that position for quite some time. Neither of them had much to say; they both just wanted their friends to be all right. They took comfort in each other's company, wordlessly praying that things would improve.

A/N: Wow, Chapter three is up already! I hope I did Ryan's scenes some justice…it was so hard for me to get inside of his head, and write what he was thinking. He's so quiet and withdrawn. Please read and review, I need feedback to keep going. Feel free to share any of your suggestions or questions with me.


	4. Coping

Disclaimer: I obviously don't own The O.C. or its characters…that all belongs to Josh Schwartz—brilliant man, that he is!

_KC-Chick:_ Thank you so much for your encouraging reviews. I really appreciate your thoughts and opinions! Your words mean a lot to me and they give me the courage to keep going. :0)

A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed chapter three! I apologize for the lack of updating, but I've been very busy lately, what with final exams and soccer tournaments. _Which my team made it into the first round by the way! Hehe, sorry I'm so excited about making it to the playoffs that I just couldn't keep the good news to myself. :)_

Marissa sat on the edge of the hospital bed, swinging her purse back and forth. She was waiting for her mother to finish filling out some paperwork, so that she could be discharged. She was dressed in a comfortable pair of grey sweatpants and a tee shirt. The outfit reminded her of Ryan. Any time that he was lounging around the house, he would wear his old, raggedy grey sweats. Suddenly Marissa heard the door open, revealing her parents. A nurse stood behind them, pushing an unoccupied wheelchair.

"Ready to get out of this place, Kiddo?" Jimmy asked, smiling at her.

Marissa smiled back at him weakly and nodded her head. "Yeah, I can't wait to go home."

Julie and Jimmy stepped aside to let the nurse into the room. The wheelchair was wheeled up to her bed, and the nurse looked at her expectantly. "Do you need help, sweetheart?"

"I can walk perfectly fine," Marissa insisted.

"It's hospital policy, dear," the nurse replied, kindly.

She sighed, and sat herself down in the chair, her purse resting on her lap. Jimmy patted her shoulder sympathetically as they made their way out of the building. She contemplated whether or not she should have checked on Ryan before she left. Marissa had wanted to; though she was afraid of the way he would treat her. When they got to the entrance of the hospital, Marissa stood from the wheelchair, and waited next to Julie as Jimmy went to get the car.

"He's sleeping," Julie said out of the blue.

"What?" Marissa asked, turning to face her mother, clearly confused.

"Ryan's asleep. You wouldn't have been able to talk to him, even if you had visited him. Sandy says Ryan's very tired," Julie explained.

"Oh, um thanks for letting me know," Marissa replied, surprised that her mother had known what she was thinking about.

A few moments later Jimmy reappeared, though this time with the car. Julie sat in the passenger seat next to Jimmy, while Marissa sprawled herself out on the back seat, worrying about the days to come.

Meanwhile, Sandy and Seth stood outside Ryan's hospital room, talking quietly.

"Maybe we both should go in there? You know, try the whole two against one approach? That way, he'll have to talk to one of us," Seth suggested.

"I don't know Seth," Sandy said skeptically. "I don't want to pressure him."

"Well dad, he's got to talk eventually. Besides, if Ryan keeps this all inside of him, he's going to have a major meltdown," Seth enforced his opinion adamantly.

"You're right," Sandy nodded his head. "Let me go in there first, though. You can have a heart-to-heart with him afterwards."

Seth wrinkled his brow. "Dad, Ryan doesn't have "heart-to-heart" talks with _anyone!_"

"Well he's about to," Sandy said firmly, opening the door to Ryan's room.

As he walked into the cubicle, he stared at the boy in front of him. Ryan was lying in his stretcher, curled up into a ball. He was fast asleep, his head cocked to one side of his pillow. Ryan's face was covered in bruises, and he looked utterly uncomfortable.

Sandy pulled up a chair and sat down next to Ryan's sleeping figure, quietly clasping his hands together. The past two days had been horrendous, and Kirsten still wasn't allowed to make any phone calls. He needed to talk to her; he needed someone that he could vent all of his troubles to. Though, Sandy also knew that what Kirsten was going through was just as serious, and he didn't want to make her worry, anymore than she already was.

He sat by Ryan's bedside for what seemed like hours, just watching the boy breathe in and out. Every time his chest would rise and fall, Sandy thanked God that it wasn't his last breath; the thought of losing Ryan was unbearable. He had indeed almost lost him. If Trey had continued to strangle his brother, Ryan would have undoubtedly died that night. His thoughts drifted back to the day he had met Ryan. Sandy had felt that the boy was a spitting image of himself when he was sixteen, minus the criminal record. He remembered the look on Ryan's face, when Sandy had picked him up in Chino, the first time he had seen the Cohen's mansion, the fear in his eyes after reading the pathetic note his mother had left him. He reminisced about their first dinner together as a family, Seth's initial reaction to the guest in their house, how angry Kirsten was at him for bringing home a juvenile delinquent. Throughout the past two years they had become a family, they all had formed such a strong bond. At that moment he realized how much he loved Ryan. He had grown to love him like his own son, his own flesh and blood. He couldn't imagine life without him.

Suddenly Ryan began to stir; he rolled back and forth murmuring something that Sandy couldn't understand. He placed his hand on his shoulder in an effort to calm him down. The gesture did no use, and Ryan began to thrash his arms around, pushing Sandy's hand away.

"_No_, don't shoot, don't shoot!" Ryan screamed

This startled Sandy immensely. "Ryan, Ryan wake up. You're having a nightmare," he said, continuing to shake him.

"Please stop! Don't hurt them…please," he whimpered, sweat perspiring down his face.

"Ryan, kid you're having a bad dream. Wake up," Sandy repeated, this time his voice louder.

Ryan awoke from his terror in a jolt. He sat upright in the bed, as Sandy propped a couple of pillows behind his back to support him.

"S-Sandy?" he whispered.

"I'm right here Ry, and I'm not going anywhere," he promised, wrapping his arm around Ryan's shoulders. "So, you seemed pretty freaked out. Are you okay?" he asked, already knowing the answer.

"I'll be fine," Ryan answered.

When he didn't offer any more information, Sandy continued to question him.

"You want to talk about it?"

Ryan cleared his throat. "I-I just can't stop," he sighed then resumed speaking. "I can't stop thinking about what happened." He looked Sandy in the eyes for the first time in two days. "I mean, what am I supposed to do? I don't know how to get in touch with my mom, and I _have_ to be the one to break the news to her."

"Ryan, I don't want you to worry about this. I am going to take care of everything. I'll track Dawn down. Everything will be okay. I'll make sure of it," Sandy tried to make him feel better.

"No, everything will not be okay! None of this would have happened if you had just listened to me when I told you that Trey was trouble!" Ryan lashed out, his eyes filled with tears, and the look of betrayal in his eyes. Sandy recognized the expression. It was the same one he wore when he realized that his mother had left him with nowhere to live, and no one to love him.

Sandy winced as Ryan's words cut into him. "You're right. I should have listened to you. _I'm sorry_," he apologized, even though he knew it was too late. The damage was already done. "I thought I was doing the right thing, opening up our home to your brother. I really believed him when he said that he was going to get his act together."

"I know that Sandy! But I warned you beforehand that all Trey ever did was lie. He made promises that he couldn't keep. When I was younger, I used to look up to him, idolize him really. Then as I got older, I realized that he was in a bad way. Trey couldn't change, because he didn't want to," Ryan said, a sob catching in his throat.

"I'm so sorry kid. I wish I could make it up to you," Sandy stared at his hands in shame.

"I'm scared Sandy," came Ryan's barely audible voice.

"I know…so am I," he replied.

Kirsten stared out of the window of the Suriak Rehabilitation Center. She had been holed up in her private bedroom for two days, which had allowed her a good amount of time to think. Aside from eating her meals in the cafeteria, and going to the initiation meeting for all of the new patients, Kirsten hadn't been very social. She didn't feel like "making new friends" or going to the group therapy meetings. Sandy and the boys had sent her there against her will. Kirsten would have much rather stayed in Newport and gone to counseling at home, with the support of her family.

She knew that they meant well and that they loved her, though she didn't feel as if her feelings had been considered at all, when they had made such a huge decision. She could just imagine the rumors that were floating around the city. She was most definitely the latest piece of gossip at the Newpsie meetings, and she hated it when people talked about her behind her back.

Kirsten wondered how the boys were holding up. She couldn't seem to stop worrying about them. Were they safe? Had they eaten dinner? Was there enough food in the refrigerator? She hadn't had a chance to stock the house with food before she left. Hell she hadn't even had time to pack her own bags before she was pushed out the door. Could Sandy handle the kids all by himself? Who was taking care of the Newport Group? Her dad would have certainly wanted her to take over, though someone had to keep things running while she was gone. The doctors—and even her own family had insisted that therapy would help her. If that was the case, then why did she feel so alone and afraid?

A/N: All right, so I know that not much happened in this chapter, however I promise you that the rest of this story is going to be filled with drama, drama, drama! The more reviews I get, the faster I update.


	5. On Edge

Disclaimer: The only O.C. related things that I own are the CD mixes, tons of posters of Ben McKenzie, and the First Season DVD.

A/N: Thank you to everyone who reviewed chapter four. I didn't get a lot of feedback, which was disappointing. However the reviews that I received were awesome! You guys rock!

A few days later Ryan was released from the hospital, after all of his physical wounds had healed. Once Ryan returned home, the boys just moped around the house. Seth locked himself up in his bedroom, talking to Captain Oats, and calling Summer occasionally every few hours. Sandy buried himself in legal work, especially Marissa's case. He stayed in his office all day, only appearing in the kitchen for a few minutes so that he could relieve the sporadic munchies that he got from working so hard.

As for Ryan, he dwelled in his pool house, holed up like a hermit. He hadn't stepped one foot inside the actual mansion since the day of the shooting. Seth came out to visit him every once and a while to see if he was ready to talk, but Ryan always insisted, "He'd be fine," and to "leave him alone." So Seth reluctantly gave up.

He stared out of his gigantic window, watching the wave's crash onto the shore. The foamy suds that the ocean gave off covered the beach. Then he remembered Trey had tried to rape _her_ on that very same beach. Suddenly, the view of the sea wasn't as comforting.

Ryan turned his head when he heard a soft knock on the door. "Seth go away!" he called out, for what felt like the tenth time that day.

"It's not Seth," came a familiar voice.

He recognized Marissa's voice immediately. "Come in," he said.

The door to the pool house opened and closed, revealing Marissa. She wasn't dressed up nicely like she normally was. Her face lacked its usual gleam, and she looked exhausted. Marissa timidly walked over to Ryan's bed, and he patted the edge of it, gesturing for her to sit down.

"Hi," she murmured quietly, searching for the right words to say to him.

"Hey," he replied, looking equally uncomfortable.

"So…um, how are you doing?" she asked, feeling incredibly stupid for not being able to think of anything else to say.

"I've been better," he answered honestly. "You?"

"Same here," she nodded her head, as a lump formed in her throat. She had known that it was going to be hard, confronting Ryan, but nothing could have prepared her for the awkwardness that filled the room, or the guilt that she felt, swallowing her whole.

They sat not saying anything for a few minutes before Marissa decided that she had to break the deafening silence. "Look Ryan, I know that you probably don't want to talk about this but…I am so incredibly sorry for what happened."

He shrugged coolly. "I know you are. Just forget about it, it's over and done with."

Marissa's mouth gaped open slightly. She was shocked by Ryan's demeanor. What was she supposed to say? She had already apologized…twice.

"Ryan, you can't just blow this off like nothing happened. We can't dance around this subject like we do with everything else," Marissa said, blinking back tears. She felt a burning sensation in her eyes as tears built up, like a river dam threatening to break free. "Please tell me what you're thinking!"

He simply stared off into space, his gaze fixed on the comforter of his futon. She placed her hand on his arm, gently stroking it.

"Ry, please talk to me," she begged.

Ryan continued to sit on his bed, not saying anything. He didn't feel like talking, he didn't feel like doing anything. All he wanted to do was wallow, something that Ryan Atwood had never been allowed the pleasure of doing before.

"Fine, I understand that you want to be left alone. This conversation isn't over though," Marissa kissed him carefully on the cheek, and he leaned into her embrace a little bit. She stood, and walked out the door, finally releasing the tears that she had been holding back. As she rounded the corner of the pool house, she literally ran right into Seth.

"Watch where you're going Cooper," Seth teased her lightly. Then he noticed her face was red from crying. "Hey, are you okay? I'm sorry; I didn't mean to upset you. Did you get hurt when we collided?" he rambled on.

Marissa shook her head, indicating that she was not fine at all. "No, you didn't hurt me Seth."

"Things between you and Ryan, are a little rocky?" Seth assumed.

"I've never seen him like this before. How long has he been like this?" Marissa questioned, wiping her wet face with the back of her hand.

"Ever since he came home from the hospital," Seth answered. "Hey, don't feel bad Marissa, he's been treating everyone that way. He's pissed off at the world, not _you_."

"Thanks, Seth," she forced a smile, and then walked off towards her car which was parked in the Cohen driveway.

Meanwhile Ryan sat in his bedroom, feeling terrible about the way he had handled things with Marissa. He didn't want to fight with her… in fact he needed her. The roles were finally reversed…he needed her to save him, not the other way around. The look of sadness on Marissa's face as she left had killed him. Ryan just wanted to be left alone and he couldn't understand why no one was respecting his wishes.

He decided that he needed to get out of the house for a while. Ryan had been lying in his bed for so long that he was sure his body would be permanently imprinted in his mattress. He got up and changed into halfway decent attire. Then he went into the kitchen and grabbed the keys to the Range Rover off of the table. Seth came into the room, with his trusty plastic horse in his hands and eyed Ryan suspiciously.

"Where are you going man?"

"Out," Ryan answered shortly, walking out the door.

Seth followed after him. "Out where?" he asked again.

"I don't know, Seth," Ryan said impatiently, unlocking the car and getting inside of it.

"Of course you know where you're going. You can't just drive off in any old direction," Seth insisted.

"I'm going for a ride, okay? I'll be back later."

"What time?" Seth retorted.

"What are you writing a book or something?" Ryan fired back. "Probably around dinner, is that all right with you _mom_?" With that, Ryan backed the car up and pulled out of the driveway, Seth staring after him.

Ryan had no idea where he was headed. All he knew was that he needed to clear his mind, and being cooped up in the house with Seth wasn't helping whatsoever. He continued to drive, until he realized that he was advancing toward Chino. Ryan considered turning back around, why go to Chino and stir up old memories? Then again…why not? He wondered why he always ended up visiting his old home, whenever he was in a rut. There really wasn't anyone there for him anymore.

Ryan pulled up in front of Theresa's house. He hoped that she wouldn't be upset with him for stopping by—after all the last time he had seen her she didn't even allow him inside. Ryan gazed out the tinted windows of the Range Rover, and noticed his longtime friend sitting in a plastic chair, holding a baby in her arms. He saw Arturo flipping some type of food that Ryan could only assume was hamburgers, on the grill. Theresa's mother Rosa was talking with a group of ladies, as they watched a group of rambunctious kids run around the front yard. It looked to him like they were having a barbeque of some sort. Ryan got out of the vehicle and cautiously approached Theresa. She was so focused on the little one in her arms that she didn't even know that Ryan was headed towards her. Rosa noticed him, and immediately stopped talking to her friends, her attention focused directly on him.

"Hey you," Ryan said brightly, waiting for Theresa to look up at him.

Her head shot up the second she heard his voice. "Ryan?" she croaked out, her face panic stricken. "Um, what are you doing here?" she asked, rising from her seat.

Their conversation was interrupted by Arturo slapping Ryan heartily on the back. "Hey man, what brings you here?"

"Arturo, buddy. Good to see you," Ryan greeted.

"Did you hear Trey got out on parole?" Arturo announced, not sure if Ryan knew or not.

"Yeah, actually I have some bad news," Ryan said, his throat constricting. He didn't exactly know what to say. Arturo and his brother had been good friends, and he wanted to break the information to him as gently as possible.

"What's up? Oh no, don't tell me that he's back in jail _again_?" Arturo suspected.

"No, it is about Trey though."

"Spill it man!" Arturo demanded, his curiosity getting the best of him.

"Is he all right?" Theresa asked, after noticing the expression of grief on Ryan's face.

"He finally got what he deserved," Ryan deadpanned.

Theresa stared at him in shock, and Arturo looked at him peculiarly.

"I don't follow, man. What are you getting at?" Arturo inquired.

"Trey's dead," Ryan announced bluntly.

Theresa gasped. "Oh my God, Ryan what happened?"

"Remember the night we were talking about him?" Ryan began to explain.

"Yeah, you were having some trust issues," Theresa replied.

"Well, turns out you were right. I should have believed Marissa," Ryan stated bitterly.

"Did he hurt her?" Arturo wondered aloud.

"The bastard tried to rape her," was all Ryan could muster.

"Damn him to hell," Theresa whispered quietly. "Are you okay Ryan?"

"I will be...eventually. I'm sorry you had to find out this way," he said, glancing towards Arturo.

"It was bound to happen sooner or later," Arturo stalked back over to the grill and resumed cooking.

"I'm sorry. You didn't deserve to have a monster like him for a brother," Theresa said solemnly, looking down at the baby in her arms.

"Thanks," he murmured. He decided it might be best to change the topic of discussion. "Are you babysitting for someone?"

"No," she said, her voice barely audible.

"Whose baby is it then?" Ryan asked, a feeling of nervousness overtaking him.

Theresa gulped, a few tears trickling down the sides of her face.

"_Mine_."

A/N: Muhahaha, I left you with a cliffhanger. Although, it's probably not a very good one…I suppose it's slightly obvious where the direction of the story has shifted. By the way, I couldn't remember what Theresa's mothers name was, so I decided to just go with Rosa, even though I believe that's the Cohen's housekeeper…oh well. Arturo is Theresa's brother, in case anyone was wondering. Anyway, I need feedback to keep writing, so please review and let me know what you think! Also, just a reminder, this is a _RM_ fic, and in no way am I a Theresa/ Ryan shipper, lol.


	6. The Truth

Disclaimer: I don't own The O.C. I think we've established that by now.

A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed chapter five, I really appreciate the feedback! Although some people think that I rushed into the baby storyline. The whole point of bringing Theresa back into the action is because I want to incorporate the loss of Ryan's brother with the birth of a brand new child.

Ryan stared at her in shock. He blinked a few times and shook his head. "Wha-what do you mean, it's _yours_?" Ryan stammered.

"Exactly what I said…it's mine," she repeated herself.

He gulped, a feeling of dread encompassing him. "That's not possible. You went to the doctor, you miscarried, you called me and told me that you lost the baby!" Ryan said, his voice raising an octave.

Theresa lowered her head in shame. She waited a few moments before meeting his cold gaze. She was crying freely, tears streaming down her cheeks and rolling down her chin, leaving wet droplets on her shirt. "I lied. I am so sorry Ryan. I-I was just so scared,-"

He cut her off mid-sentence, his voice harsh. "Scared of what? You got what you wanted! I left Newport to take care of you and the baby. You had me…I wasn't going anywhere, so why did you lie?"

"Ryan, you were miserable. The only reason you moved back here is because you felt obligated. I was going to lose you one way or another. We hardly ever spoke; you just stayed at work all day and worked long hours-"

Again he didn't let her finish what she was saying. "I worked so that we'd have money for the baby."

"Maybe that was one reason, but you also didn't want to be around me all day. Ryan, I could tell that you didn't want to be back here in Chino. You missed your family. So-I let you go," Theresa stated somberly.

"For the past year I thought that the baby was dead! Theresa, I grieved over it. How could you do this to me? You led me to believe that a child-that could possibly be _mine_ was no longer alive!" Ryan practically screamed, causing Theresa to flinch and take a step back from him.

"I thought I was doing the right thing," Theresa cried. "I'm sorry; you weren't supposed to find out this way."

"Oh, so you were planning on telling me? When exactly were you going to let me know, was I supposed to get subpoenaed into court to pay child support?" Ryan asked bitterly.

"I was going to tell you when I felt the time was right," Theresa replied.

Their conversation was causing quite a commotion, heads turned to see what was going on. Rosa rushed over to the two, in hopes to settle the dispute.

"What is going on? You're creating such a scene. Can't you take this somewhere else?" Rosa hissed.

"Mama, please just leave us be," Theresa pleaded.

Noticing her daughter's distraught expression, she placed her hand on Theresa's shoulder. "_Querida_ what's wrong?"

"He knows…" she whispered.

Rosa gasped, and looked at Ryan. His eyes were squinted and glazed over.

"Ryan, don't be angry with her. It was my idea, my fault. Please don't blame this on her," Rosa began to beg.

"Mama, this is between Ryan and I. Please, just leave us alone," Theresa insisted, shifting the baby in her arms.

"Very well," Rosa nodded her head and walked away. She attempted to usher as many guests as she could into the house, so that the two could speak in private.

"Do you, um, do you know who the father is?" Ryan asked, clearing his throat.

"No, I'm not sure. I haven't spoken with Eddie since last summer," Theresa answered.

"Did he know that you were pregnant?" Ryan probed.

"No, he has no idea. He didn't even know that I was living in Atlanta. I was too afraid to tell him. I can't even imagine how he would react if he knew that there's a chance that Matthew could be yours," Theresa shuddered.

"Matthew...is that his name?" Ryan asked. He had so many questions that he wanted answered.

"Yeah, I wanted it to be biblical," Theresa responded. "Do you—do you want to hold him?"

Ryan was overcome with emotions. He was furious that Theresa hadn't been honest with him, yet at the same time he was extremely relieved that the baby was alive. His thoughts drifted to Marissa—oh God, with everything that she was going through, she would definitely not take the news well. He looked at Matthew, and decided that he was the most beautiful baby that Ryan had ever seen. Was he ready to be a father? Was the child even his? Should he hold him? What was he going to tell the Cohen's, Seth, Marissa? Most importantly, would Theresa allow him to spend time with the boy, if he was indeed Ryan's son?

He nodded his head in conformation.

Theresa carefully placed Matthew in Ryan's arms. "Watch his head," she advised.

Ryan cradled the baby in his arms and gazed down at him. The little boy smiled at him and grabbed at his face. Ryan slowly sat down in the chair Theresa had been occupying when he arrived. He reached out and cautiously stroked the baby's cheek with his finger. Matthew wrapped his small hand around one of Ryan's fingers and began to make gurgling sounds.

"Hey, there Matt," Ryan said softly.

Theresa smiled. "He likes you."

"He's got a really strong grip," Ryan commented. He couldn't help but grin when Matthew grasped for Ryan's hair.

"Yeah, he's a big boy," Theresa agreed.

"How old is he?" Ryan asked, immediately falling in love with the bundle in his arms.

"Six months," she informed him.

Six months…she had been keeping this a secret from him for six months. Ryan couldn't seem to wrap his head around it. He never thought that Theresa would lie to him. She had been his best friend long before she had been his girlfriend, and they didn't keep things from each other. Ryan tried his best to keep his cool; he refused to lose his temper in front of Matthew. The feelings which evoked from simply holding the child amazed him.

He hadn't felt such a surge of happiness in a long time. Of course, deep down he was still worried about what was to come, and how everyone would respond when they found out. Suddenly Theresa interrupted his thoughts.

"You're so good with him Ryan," she said.

"I want a paternity test done," he announced, ignoring her compliment.

"I understand," she retorted. "I'll call the hospital first thing tomorrow morning and set up an appointment."

"Good, that's good," Ryan replied shortly. Just then his cell phone rang. He used one hand to dig through his jean pocket for his cellular, while keeping his free arm wrapped tightly around Matthew.

"Hello," he said.

"Ry, man it's me," Seth announced.

"Oh hey, what's up?" Ryan asked nonchalantly, hoping that Seth wouldn't catch on and realize that something was going on.

"Funny, I was going to ask you the same thing. Why aren't you home yet? Dad keeps hounding me about where you are…so not to sound redundant but, where are you dude?" Seth said.

"Uh, I'm stuck in traffic. I should be home in an hour or so, though. Tell Sandy not to worry, okay?"

"All right," Seth nodded his head, not realizing that Ryan couldn't see him. "Hey man, you don't sound to swift, is something wrong?"

"Seth, I'm fine," Ryan insisted. "See you at home," and with that he hung up.

Theresa stared at him questioningly as he stood up from his seat. "You've got to go?"

"Yeah, but I'll call you tomorrow," he told her. Ryan smiled at Matthew and stroked his cheek one final time before apprehensively handing him back to Theresa.

"Bye," Theresa whispered.

"See ya," he murmured, heading over to the Range Rover which was parked around the corner from her house.

As he walked towards the car, he could hear Matthew crying and Theresa trying to calm him down. He couldn't believe how things had turned out. Ryan had visited Chino looking for solace, for some friendly faces, to help him receive some closure after the passing of his brother. Instead he ended up with a son…if Matthew really was his?

Summer climbed the long and winding staircase of the Nichol Mansion. She had been greeted by Julie and Jimmy who were having dinner on the patio, on her way inside. They had informed her that Marissa was upstairs in her bedroom. When she finally made it up the never ending flight of stairs, she went right to Marissa's room. Summer knocked on the door, just to be polite. Ordinarily she would have just walked right in. However under the circumstances she decided that Marissa most likely wanted some privacy. After a few knocks, no one answered.

"Coop?" she called out, banging on the door. "Coop, sweetie are you in there? Marissa?"

A nervous feeling washed through Summer as she pushed open the heavy wooden door. She immediately noticed Marissa lying on the floor, a vodka bottle a few feet away from her. Summer rushed over to her friend and began to shake her.

"Coop, wake up! Oh my God, Marissa what have you done?" she cried, continuing to shake her.

Marissa's eyes flickered open and she looked around the room, her eyes finally resting on Summer.

"Sum-" Marisa began to speak.

"My God, Marissa! Do you know how scared I was? I thought you were like dead or something. How much did you have to drink?" Summer questioned.

"I don't know…a little more than usual," she replied, attempting to sit up. She grabbed the sides of her head and moaned in agony. "Oh man, I feel like I'm going to throw up."

Summer grabbed the garbage pail that sat beside Marissa's bed and placed it in front of her, gently rubbing her friend's back.

"Coop, you've got to stop this. It isn't healthy…you shouldn't drink so much that you black out!" Summer said, somewhat angrily.

"It-it helps me forget. It's the only way I can get any sleep. Otherwise, I'll just lie awake staring at the ceiling all night long. Sum, I just can't stop thinking about _it_, I keep having these horrible nightmares. I just want things to go back to the way they were," Marissa admitted, her eyes filling with water.

Summer pulled her best friend into her arms and hugged her tightly. The two girls sat there on the floor holding each other. The sobs coming from Marissa, brought tears to Summer's eyes. She wanted more than anything to take away everyone's pain.

A/N: I'm sorry that it took me such a long time to update. I got so many mixed reviews and I wasn't sure if I should continue this story or not. Anyway, chapter seven should be up soon but I must warn you, it's going to be very emotional. Please review, the more reviews I get…the faster I update:0)


	7. Late Night Reflections

Disclaimer: I don't own The O.C. I think we've established that by now.

A/N: Thank you to my wonderful reviewers for the feedback that I received on chapter six. Please stick with me, and keep reviewing:0)

Ryan lay on his futon staring at his digital clock, watching as the numbers changed. He had gotten home rather late from his surprise trip to Chino, though he wasn't tired. In fact, Ryan hadn't had a decent night's sleep in days. Every time he closed his eyes, he was haunted by the horrific memories of Trey's death. Except in his dreams the gunshot was practically deafening—louder than it had been on the actual night of the shooting. He just couldn't shake the sound of it out of his head. It rattled in his brain; it rang so loudly that his ears buzzed. Ryan's thoughts were on overdrive and the bouts of stress that he was going through were excruciatingly painful.

Nobody talked anymore, for once The Cohen Casa was quiet. Even Seth didn't say much. Sandy was becoming a hermit—he only left the house to go to his office to retrieve paperwork that he needed. It was as if everything were in slow motion. Normally Newport was abuzz with activities, charity events, raging parties. However, everything seemed to change after _the incident_—which was what the gossip mill referred to it as.

The whole mess with Theresa didn't help matters any. Ryan couldn't remove the image of Matthew from his mind. The mere thought of being a father at his age, scared him, yet excited him at the same time. He didn't want the baby to be Eddie's; no kid deserved him for a dad. Though, he wasn't sure that he wanted Matthew to be his son either…not only would it be a huge responsibility but he had no idea how he would afford it. He was saving every scrap of money that he earned for college. He didn't want Kirsten and Sandy to pay for it, they had done so much for him as it was.

His relationship with Marissa was rocky, and they still weren't communicating properly. If Ryan had to take care of Matthew, then Marissa would have to become second priority. Ryan wasn't sure if he was ready for such a dramatic change. He feared the results of the paternity test. His mind was filled with "what ifs" and regrets. He definitely wished he could take back the night he slept with Theresa—she had been a rebound. True, he had feelings for her, she was his oldest friend, but the night that they had hooked up he had been looking for comfort. He was so hurt that Marissa hadn't believed him about Oliver and she kept throwing herself at him. She didn't understand that he needed some time and space to think things through. So he had turned to Theresa…which had ended up being one of the worst things he could have possibly done.

Suddenly Ryan heard a soft knock on his door. He jumped a little as the pool house door swung open, revealing a pajama clad Seth.

"Seth, what are you doing here? It's like two in the morning," Ryan groaned, pulling a pillow over his head.

"Sorry to startle you buddy, but I'm in desperate need of some 'Seth and Ryan time'," Seth announced, flipping on a light switch and crossing the room to Ryan's bed.

"Let me guess…you and Summer are fighting?" Ryan assumed, since basically all of their talks involved Summer and Seth's relationship or Seth's problems in general.

"Actually no, we're getting along surprisingly well," Seth replied.

"Then what is that?" Ryan mumbled from beneath the covers.

"I don't know. I just thought that we had a little catching up to do," Seth answered, trying to yank the blankets away from Ryan.

"You came in here and woke me up at _two o'clock in the morning_ to talk about nothing in particular?" Ryan asked in an aggravated tone.

"Well when you put it like that, it sounds bad," Seth smirked. "So what's up? How are things going?"

Ryan shot him his signature glare which Seth claimed, 'conveyed everything in one look.'

"Hey, I ran into Marissa today—literally—yeah, she didn't look so good. Is everything okay with you two?" Seth said, searching for something to say.

"I don't really know, man. We haven't talked in a while. She wanted to…but I kind of snapped at her," Ryan admitted.

"Hence, the whole 'Marissa running out of the pool house and smacking right into me' ordeal?" Seth said trying to lighten the mood of their conversation.

"Yeah," Ryan agreed quietly.

"So how are you holding up? You know with mom gone, and everything that's happened lately," Seth asked.

"I'm hanging in there," Ryan answered. He pulled himself up into a sitting position and clasped his hands together. "How about you?"

"I miss her," Seth said honestly, running a hand through his messy hair.

"Hopefully she'll be able to come home soon," Ryan suggested.

"How was your little excursion?" Seth probed, changing the subject.

Ryan sighed, not wanting to think about the day that lay ahead of him. He was tired of keeping things inside of him. He wanted—_no he needed_ to get things off his chest. Ryan knew that he could trust Seth, in fact Seth had been the one to accompany Theresa and himself to the doctor's when she had first suspected that she was pregnant.

"I actually ended up driving to Chino," Ryan replied.

"Oh, you did? How was it?" Seth was again at a loss for words, it was beginning to become something of a habit.

"I saw Theresa," Ryan mumbled, as if it explained everything.

"I thought she was living in Atlanta?" Seth questioned.

"I suppose she was visiting her mom for the week," Ryan shrugged, staring into space.

"So you guys got a chance to catch up then? That's good," Seth said.

"She had the baby, Seth. Theresa lied to me," Ryan announced bluntly, continuing to stare at the wall, his face expressionless.

"_What_?" Seth exclaimed, not believing what he heard. "You mean… she really didn't miscarry?"

Ryan shook his head. "He's six months old."

"Oh my God," was all Seth could muster. "Does she know who the father is?"

"There's a possibility that it could be mine. Eddie's still in the dark about the pregnancy," Ryan answered.

"I can't believe she lied about it! That's plain cruel, man. Ryan, are you sure she's telling you the truth now? Maybe she knows that the baby really is Eddie's but she wants you back so she doesn't have to be alone anymore?" Seth said, by way of explanation.

"I don't think so Seth," Ryan insisted. "I told her that I wanted a paternity test done. If all goes as planned, I suppose I'll find out tomorrow."

"Are you scared?" Seth asked, feeling a knot of fear growing in his own stomach.

"To be honest…yeah I am. I mean, when I held him in my arms it just felt—right…you know? Everything that's been on my mind for the past week, it just all faded away. I felt genuinely happy," Ryan said, a relaxed looking encompassing his face.

"That's awesome man," Seth replied. "Not that its 'awesome' that she lied to you…oh you know what I mean."

"I don't know what I'm going to tell everyone else," Ryan sighed.

"Does Marissa know yet?" Seth asked.

"No. You're the only one that I've told. Seth, you've got to keep this just between us…for now. Nobody else can find out until I know for sure!" Ryan pleaded.

"You have my word, this will stay under wraps," Seth promised, realizing this was no time for jokes.

Ryan lay back on his bed, resting his head on a pillow. Seth stared out the door, watching the trees sway back and forth in the dark. They sat in silence for what felt like hours, taking in the reality of the situation. The results of the paternity test had the ability to throw their lives even more off balance.

"Do you want me to come with you? Tomorrow, I mean?" Seth offered, quietly.

Ryan looked up at his pseudo brother, finally meeting his gaze. "Thanks man, it would mean a lot." He offered Seth an appreciative half-smile.

The two boys drifted back into a comfortable silence. Seth couldn't believe how messed up things had become. He had finally gotten his brother back, and now there was a huge possibility that he could lose him all over again.

A/N: So that was chapter seven. Not much happened, however I felt that Ryan really needed to confide in someone. Next chapter…Ryan will find out if he is Matthew's father or not. Please review…I seriously need some encouragement to keep this story going!


	8. Whose the Daddy?

Disclaimer: Sadly, I do not own The O.C. It all belongs to Josh Schwartz and FOX.

A/N: _Thanks a bunch for the awesome reviews on chapter seven. They're what keep me going. :0)_

Seth stared blankly at the bowl of cereal in front of him. He watched as his corn flakes slowly turned into a disgusting brown mush, which was utterly unappealing. Seth glanced at Ryan, who was sitting across the table from him, oblivious to the soggy mess his breakfast was evolving into.

"Ryan," Seth said, hoping to snap his brother out of his reverie.

Ryan didn't answer, or even acknowledge the fact that he had heard him, so Seth continued.

"_Ryan._ Earth to Ryan, come in Ryan…"

His head snapped up in a sudden jolt, and his eyes focused on Seth.

"Sorry man, were you saying something?"

"Yeah, um if we don't leave soon we're going to be late for the appointment," Seth pointed out.

"You're right. Let's go," Ryan replied. He picked up his bowl and began walking towards the sink.

"Uh, dude…where are you going?" Seth asked, in confusion.

"I'm putting my bowl away," he answered.

"Rosa will take care of that. Come on," Seth insisted, jiggling his father's car keys in the air.

Normally Ryan would have argued that they were capable of cleaning up after themselves, however he was too anxious to put up a fight. He placed his dish on the kitchen counter and followed Seth out the door.

- - - - - -

An hour later they pulled up in front of the only hospital in Chino. As they entered the building, Ryan's heart was pounding. The nervous look on Seth's face wasn't helping him, either.

"So what floor are we supposed to go to?" Seth asked.

Ryan thought a moment before answering. "I believe she told me, seven. The Genetics Lab."

They made their way over to the nearest elevator, and stepped inside. As the doors closed, Ryan wished that he could jump out. He watched intently as the numbers on the elevator changed, gulping when they arrived on the seventh floor.

"Are you ready?" Seth said, gently.

"As ready as I'll ever be," Ryan muttered. His legs felt like gelatin, wobbly and unstable with each stride.

They made their way through what seemed to be a never ending hallway and stopped as they reached the waiting room. Theresa was already seated in a chair, waiting for them. Matthew lay in her arms, playing with a rattle. By chance she looked up and noticed the boys standing across the room from her. Theresa waved timidly, offering them a sad smile.

"Hey Theresa, long time no see, 'huh?" Seth greeted, as they approached her.

"Hi Seth, what are you doing here?" Theresa replied, her tone less than friendly.

Seth scrunched up his face, slightly annoyed by her question. "Oh, I'm here for moral support."

Both Theresa and Seth glanced at Ryan, waiting for him to say something. His eyes were glued on Matthew, and he seemed to be transfixed. Seth nudged him nonchalantly, hoping to catch his attention. Ryan slowly turned his head and met Seth's gaze.

"So this is the little tyke?" Seth asked, stating the obvious.

"Yeah, this is Matt," Ryan finally spoke up.

Seth bent down to the baby's eye-level and smiled at him. "Well, hello there Matthew, you don't look too happy to be here so early in the morning."

Matthew opened his mouth and let out a giggle, which satisfied Seth.

"I guess he likes me?" Seth said.

Theresa nodded her head. "That seems to be the case. Would you like to hold him?"

"Me?" Seth exclaimed. "No, I don't think that's such a good idea. I mean, I might drop the poor kid."

"Seth, I'm sure you can handle it," Ryan voiced his opinion.

"Well, thanks for the vote of confidence bro, but I'm not so sure," Seth replied.

"It might be easier if you sat down, seeing as you don't have much experience with babies," Theresa advised, gesturing to the seat next to her.

Seth sat down, and Theresa handed Matthew to him. He held the baby carefully in his arms, and stared at the little boy in awe.

"See, you're fine," Ryan said, reassuringly.

Suddenly a nurse approached the group. "Excuse me, ma'am," the woman said to Theresa. "The doctor will see you now. Please follow me."

Ryan and Theresa stood, and she took Matthew back into her arms.

"Do you want me to stay here?" Seth asked Ryan, clearly uncertain as to what he was supposed to do.

"Yeah, it shouldn't take too long. I'll be back soon," Ryan promised.

They followed the nurse into a nearby cubicle. The walls were bare and the room contained only two chairs.

"You may have a seat," The nurse directed them, as she read over their paperwork.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but you're here today for a paternity test?"

"Yes we are," Theresa confirmed.

"In order to perform a paternity test correctly, I need a small sample of DNA from both the parents and the child. Would you prefer a buccal swab or having your blood drawn?"

"The first option sounds much less painful…especially for the baby. Ryan is that okay with you?" Theresa asked.

"No, that's fine with me. Whatever's best for Matthew," he replied quietly.

Theresa shot him a small, grateful smile. The nurse began to gather the supplies she needed, and once she was ready, she stared at her patients expectantly. "Who wants to go first?"

When no one spoke up, she decided to take another route of action.

"How about we start with the little one? Mom, can you please hold the baby as still as possible?" the nurse ordered. She took a long throat swab out of her lab coat pocket, and placed it in Matthew's mouth. After running it along his cheek several times, she took the specimen and placed it in an air tight container.

She repeated the same process with Ryan and Theresa.

"All right, the results should be in, in seven to fourteen days. Although normally it doesn't take more than a week, and I'll call you when they're ready," the nurse announced.

"Well, thank you," Theresa paused to read the name tag on the woman's scrubs. "Betty," she finished.

"You're quite welcome dear. And might I add what a wonderful little boy you have, he behaved so nicely."

"Thanks," she gushed, standing up.

"You have a nice day now," Betty called after them as they left the room.

- - - - -

The rest of the week dragged by slowly for Ryan, when he received a phone call from Theresa, letting him know that the test results were finally in and that he was to meet her at the hospital at three o'clock that afternoon.

He debated whether or not he should tell Sandy—before or after he found out. After consulting with Seth, he decided that he would wait until things were set in stone before breaking the news to him. In fact, if Matthew turned out to be Eddie's, he wouldn't have to tell Sandy anything at all.

As Seth and Ryan entered the dreaded waiting room for the second time that week, it felt like déjà vu. Theresa was sitting in the same spot as last time, Matthew squirming around in her lap. The boys were about to take their seats when Theresa's name was called.

Seth stared at Ryan in concern. For some reason, he felt like this was the last time he was going to see his brother. As if, the moment he walked into the examination room, Ryan would never come out. It was an unnerving feeling, and Seth felt compelled to envelope Ryan in a hug. He gave him a manly hug and a reassuring pat on the back.

"It'll be fine man. Don't worry, okay?" Seth said, not truly believing his own words.

Ryan attempted to speak, however no words came out of his mouth. His throat was so incredibly dry. Ryan took in a deep breath of air, and then tried to say something. "T-thanks man, it means a lot to me that you came."

"Of course I did. What are brothers for?" Seth replied, a lump forming in his throat.

"Ryan, come on. The nurse is waiting," Theresa complained, impatiently.

Ryan scowled at her, as he followed the nurse back into the familiar room. They took their seats and waited for Betty to reveal the results.

"I'm sure you both are very excited to know who the real parents are, of this little cutie pie," Betty grinned, oblivious to the extreme tension between her two patients.

"Yes, we are," Theresa insisted.

"Well, then I better not beat around the bush," she stopped speaking for a moment, as she rummaged around her pockets, and pulled out her reading glasses. After properly adjusting them to her face, she resumed talking. "Ahem. Mr. Atwood, it seems that you are indeed Matthew's father."

Ryan's face turned pale, and he was sure that he was going to be sick. His stomach churned and his head pounded. "Um, I'm sorry; I must not have heard you correctly. You said that I'm the baby's father?"

She nodded her head in confirmation. "Yes, sir you are. And Theresa…well, you're obviously the mother."

"Oh my God," Ryan muttered, sweat perspiring down his face. "Excuse me; I need a drink of water." Ryan rushed out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

"Hmm, the news must have come as a shock to him?" Betty assumed.

"He'll be fine," Theresa insisted. "Did you hear that Matthew? You have a daddy!"

A/N: For some reason, that took every ounce of strength that I have to write that chapter. It just drained me, because I absolutely _hate_ writing about Theresa! She just rubs me the wrong way, and she always ruins everything. Trust me; she won't be in the story for much longer. I'm so sorry that there weren't any Ryan/Marissa scenes in this chapter, but next chapter will be focused solely on them…I swear! Stick with me RM fans; things will get better…eventually! Please leave me a review…I live for them. Thanks!


	9. Confrontations

Disclaimer: We've been over this before… I do not own The O.C. It all belongs to Josh Schwartz and FOX.

A/N: _I apologize profusely for taking such a long time getting this chapter up. I just got back from vacation yesterday, and while I was away I had no access to a computer. I'll try to update sooner from now on…again I'm so sorry for the long wait!_

_**KC-Chick:** _Thank you so much for your awesome review! It made my day, and it was the longest and most thorough one I received. I just love all of your comments, especially about Theresa. I hate her too! I really hope that you enjoy this chapter, since it's full of RM! Please keep reviewing, you're such a loyal reviewer and I love hearing what you have to say.

_**I-Believe-In-The-Butterflies:** _I'm sorry that you don't like that Ryan's the father…I know it's not exactly good news…but things could turn out for the better, right? Thank you for the compliments on my writing, I really appreciated them. Please keep reviewing!

_**xGoingUnderx:** _You were really surprised that the baby wasn't Eddie's? Wow, I thought for sure it was a dead giveaway since I'm not very good at being mysterious, lol. Thank you for the sweet comments that you left me, they made me feel great. I'm glad that you liked the Seth/Ryan scenes and that they bonded.

**_DancinDegrassi: _**Yay, Laura…you reviewed! Thanks a bunch sweetie. You'll see how Ryan handles being a father, soon enough. Oh by the way, I just saw "She's Too Young" and it was great…touchy subject though. Andrea was like "She slept with twenty guys? She's a slut!" Sorry, I just had to share that. Love ya!

**_Hannah:_** Thanks for taking your time to review, and for the helpful suggestions. I will take them into consideration! Sorry that I didn't get this chapter up as soon as you would've liked. I'll try to get better at it. 'Hit me on the hip. (Hehe, inside joke.)

**_BrSoccerChic:_** Yeah, you're right…now that Ryan's the father things will get more complicated. Thanks for sticking with me through all of this RM angst. I appreciate that you reviewed.

- - - -

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Seth asked, from the front seat of Summer's car.

"For the last time Cohen, _yes_! She's my best friend and it's up to me to get her out of this funk that she's in," came Summer's reply.

It was eight o'clock in the morning and they were parked outside of the Nichol Mansion.

"Well how does this involve me?" Seth whined.

"You're my boyfriend; you're supposed to be supportive of me. That's why you are involved in this. Not to mention you're Ryan's brother and Marissa is his girlfriend!" Summer said, by way of explanation.

"Okay, well you've got me there. But why did you have to wake me up _so_ early? I mean, it's Saturday, Sum! No normal person should be up at such an untimely hour," Seth insisted.

"Cohen, stop your complaining. Are you going to come in with me or not?" she questioned him haughtily.

Seth shot her an amused look. "I'm not going in _there_. That place is creepy, Summer. Besides, it'd be weird without my grandpa around."

Summer smiled at him sympathetically. "I'll hold your hand."

"That's a very tempting offer, but I'm afraid I'll have to pass on it. You go on in and get Marissa up. I'll be here when you get back," Seth urged.

"Fine," Summer sighed. "Hopefully, it won't take me too long."

Summer walked to the front door and decided against knocking. She figured that everyone else would still be asleep, and didn't want to be responsible for waking up the entire family. She quietly slipped into the house, and made her way up the cascading stairwell. Once Summer reached Marissa's bedroom, she opened the door and closed it behind her as softly as possible.

Marissa was lying in her four poster bed, tangled up in a mess of blankets and sheets. Her hair lay haphazardly across her face, and Summer spotted an open Vodka bottle next to her nightstand. She walked over to her friend and shook her firmly, in attempt to wake her up. Marissa stirred, and turned on her side. Summer continued to shake her, until finally Marissa's eyes fluttered open and she awoke. She shot up into a sitting position, startled to see Summer standing over her, her arms crossed, and a disapproving expression across her face.

"Sum, what the hell are you doing here?" Marissa mumbled. Her heart was racing and she was obviously shocked to see Summer.

"Coop, I am sick of seeing you mope around your house all day," Summer stated.

"I do not mope, Sum!" Marissa protested. She lay back down in her bed, and pulled her sheets over herself.

"Oh yeah? When was the last time you went out and had some fun? You never want to do anything anymore, Marissa. Look I know that Ryan's being unresponsive and shutting you out, but that doesn't mean that you need to hole up in your room like a hermit. That's so not like you, Coop!" Summer exclaimed, sitting down on the edge of Marissa's bed.

"What do you want me to do Summer? Just hop out of bed at," she paused to take a look at her alarm clock, "at eight-something in the morning and go out partying? Sorry, that's not going to happen."

"Why don't we have a girl's day out? We can go shopping at the South Coast Plaza…or go out to lunch. Come on, we haven't hung out in _forever_!" Summer suggested, a sly smile appearing on her face.

"Ugh, Sum…it's so early. I don't really feel like going anywhere today, maybe tomorrow. Just let me go back to sleep, I'll call you later," Marissa yawned.

"No way, I am not giving up that easily," Summer hurried over to a nearby window and pulled up the blinds, allowing a flash of bright sunlight to enter her room.

Marissa moaned, and covered her eyes with a pillow, as Summer opened her closet and began fishing through it. She sat up in bed again, when she noticed Summer throwing clothes on her floor.

"Sum, what exactly are you doing?" Marissa asked, clearly confused as to what Summer was up to.

"I'm picking out an outfit for you. Aha! Here it is, wear this," Summer commanded, handing Marissa a pair of hip huggers.

Marissa stared at her with a blank expression. "I told you, I don't feel like going anywhere today."

Suddenly, the door to Marissa's bedroom swung open, revealing Julie Cooper-Nichol.

"Marissa, sweetie—" she began to speak, and then noticed Summer standing in her daughter's walk-in closet. "Oh, hello Summer, I didn't know that you were here."

"Hi Mrs. Coop--, um, Mrs. Nichol?" Summer greeted, not sure of what to call Marissa's mother.

"What do you want mom?" Marissa asked, impatiently.

"Kaitlin has a horse show today, and your father and I thought that you might want to come? Summer, you're welcome to come along as well," Julie offered, somewhat timidly.

Marissa stared at her in disbelief. She definitely did not want to spend the whole day with her little sister and her mother. "Actually, I'm spending the day with Summer. Thanks for the invite, but I can't go," Marissa said forcefully, so that her mother would know that she meant business.

"Oh, okay…well you girls have a fun time. I just thought I'd ask," Julie flinched at her daughter's harsh words, but left the room, nonetheless.

Marissa turned her attention back to Summer, who was looking at her with an amused grin on her face.

"What?" Marissa asked innocently.

"I just knew you'd see it my way," Summer said smugly.

"I only told her that, because there is no way in hell that I would rather spend my day in some smelly corral, than at the mall," Marissa replied with a laugh.

"Well, hurry up and get dressed. Seth's waiting in the car," Summer advised her.

- - - -

A few minutes later, Marissa and Summer emerged from the Mansion, and got into the running car. Summer slipped into the driver's seat, while Marissa sat in the back of the vehicle.

"That took you long enough," Seth huffed.

"Well, if _someone_ had been a little more willing to comply with my orders, then it wouldn't have taken so long. Sorry you had to wait," Summer apologized, while backing her car out of the driveway.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. So where are we going next?" Seth asked.

"I don't know about you two, but I'm starving!" Marissa said, voicing her opinion.

"Me too," Seth agreed. "Let's get something to eat, Sum. Breakfast on the Pier."

"Maybe we should invite Ryan?" Summer suggested.

"That's a good idea, he hates being left out," Seth replied.

"What do you say, Coop?" Summer asked, turning her head around to see Marissa's reaction.

"Summer, keep your eyes on the road!" Seth screeched, his voice raising an octave.

"Oh knock it off, Cohen. I'm a good driver," Summer said seriously.

"I suppose it wouldn't hurt to ask Ryan to come along," Marissa answered quietly, her voice full of uncertainty.

With Marissa's permission, Summer speed off in the direction of the Cohen House. A few minutes later they reached their destination and pulled into the familiar driveway. As the car came to a halt, the friends sat in silence.

Finally Seth spoke up. "So who wants to go get him?"

"I guess, I will," Marissa volunteered. She hadn't seen or spoken to Ryan in a while, and truth be told, she missed him.

She got out of the car, and slowly made her way to the pool house. Marissa knocked on the door and then entered without waiting for a reply. Ryan was sitting on his bed, wearing his signature wife-beater and a faded pair of jeans. He looked up when he heard the door close, and seemed surprised to see Marissa standing before him.

"Hey," she said softly.

"Marissa, hey," he answered, equally as quietly. "So, what brings you here?"

"Summer, Seth and I are going to go out for breakfast. We were wondering if you wanted to join us. You know…just like old times?" Marissa replied.

Ryan thought about it for a moment before deciding to come along. "Sure, I'm in. I'll meet you guys out there in a minute. I just need to change into something, a little more decent."

"All right, great…we'll just be outside in the car," Marissa said, not wanting to extend their awkwardness for a moment longer. She turned around and left the room as quickly as possible.

- - - -

Once at the Pier, the friends decided to eat at a Diner overlooking the sea. However the wait to be seated was so long that none of them felt like standing in line, so they decided to walk along the beach. Seth and Summer walked side by side, their fingers intertwined, while Ryan and Marissa tagged along behind them, keeping a good distance between each other. As they walked along the shore, Marissa stopped and dipped her feet in the icy-cold ocean. She shivered as she came in contact with the water, and for a moment she forgot all of the horrible things that were going on in her life. Seth and Summer continued their stroll down the long stretch of sand, trying to get ahead of their friends, in order to give them some privacy.

As Marissa stared into the deep blue abyss, she felt Ryan's presence. She turned around, and realized that he was standing right next to her. It amazed her that despite everything that had come between them, just being with Ryan calmed her down, she felt so carefree when she was with him, protected…loved.

"We need to talk, I have to tell you something," Ryan informed her.

"I'm all ears," Marissa retorted.

"First off, I-I just want to apologize for the way I've been acting lately. I didn't handle things correctly last time we spoke. I know that I haven't been the easiest person to be around…I'm sorry that I took things out on you."

Ryan looked at his feet as he spoke. Marissa reached for his face, and placed her hand under his chin, gently lifting his head up so that they were looking into each others eyes. Her arm dropped to her side and she took a step closer to him, and took his hand in hers.

"Everyone has their own way of handling things. You shut people out…and I drink. Neither habit is good. Ryan, we've got to learn to communicate better. We can't just go on ignoring each other, if we want to make this work. Otherwise…we're going to drift farther and farther apart and then the inevitable will happen and we'll break up. I don't want that to happen!" Marissa professed, sighing sadly.

"Marissa, neither do I!"

"All right, then we'll work on it. Everything's going to be fine as long as we're honest and open with each other. Now, is there anything else you'd like to talk to me about?" Marissa asked, squeezing his hand.

"I don't know how to say this, it's really hard for me to talk about," Ryan began.

"Try me," Marissa said encouragingly.

"Last week, I went to Chino. I just really needed to get away from Newport, you know? I saw Theresa and Arturo while I was there and there's something you need to know," he paused for a moment, trying to gather his thoughts, and word what he was about to say. "Marissa, she lied to me. Theresa told me that she lost the baby…but she only said that because she knew how miserable I was, being away from you and the Cohen's."

"Oh my God…the baby's alive? How can you be sure that she isn't lying to you now? I mean, she obviously doesn't have a very good track record for telling the truth!" Marissa protested. Why was it that when everything seemed to be getting better, they had to hit another road block? It was as if they were cursed.

"Mariss, I _know_ that she isn't lying…because not only have I seen Matt, I've held him in my arms. This is a lot of information to take in, trust me I know. It seems unbelievable, but it's not," Ryan insisted.

"Does she know who the father is? Is it Eddie? Is that why she kept this from you for such a long time…because Eddie's the father, not you?" Marissa asked, her eyes were filled with a mixture of fear and hope. She was desperately fighting back tears.

"We just got the results of the paternity test back. Eddie's not the father…_I am_," he said hoarsely.

Marissa gasped in shock. She hadn't expected those words to come from Ryan's mouth.

"A-are you sure? Sometimes those tests can be wrong?" Marissa cried.

"The doctor said that I am definitely the father," he repeated himself, his voice throaty and deep. "I am so sorry, Marissa. I never meant for any of this to happen."

He took a step towards her; however she backed up away from him.

"So what now Ryan… are you going to leave again? Are you going to leave _me_ again for Theresa? If you were so miserable last summer, then what makes you think that this time will be any better?" Marissa screamed. Tears were beginning to stream down her delicate face.

"_No!_ At least…I don't think so. I'm not sure. I mean, I am Matthew's father, and there is no way in hell that I am going to let him grow up without a dad."

"I understand that, Ryan. You have a responsibility to your own child. You also have a responsibility to your family. Kirsten pretty much lost it when you left, and Seth ran away. Sandy was the only one holding them together. You can't leave Ryan. Kirsten's going to come back from therapy and what? Find out that she lost another son all over again? If that happened, she could relapse! There has to be another way. Why can't Matthew…that's his name isn't it?"

"Yeah, that's his name," Ryan confirmed.

"Why can't he live with you and The Cohen's?" Marissa asked.

"Because, they have done so much for me already, and I am not going to burden them with another mouth to feed," Ryan answered.

They were standing across from each other, yelling back and forth. It was like a game of ping pong.

"Ryan, that's bull…you know that Sandy and Kirsten would be more than willing to help. Yeah, you'd have to get a job and start earning some more money, but wouldn't it be worth it if you were able to stay in Newport?"

"Theresa wouldn't let me have custody of him! That's fairly obvious, since she ran off to Georgia during her pregnancy and lied to me about the baby dying. Does that sound like she wants me in Matthew's life?" Ryan asked angrily.

"Ry," she said, her voice softening. "You could take her to court. After everything's she's put you through, there's no way that a sympathetic Jury wouldn't grant you joint custody—at the least," Marissa suggested.

"I-I don't know what I'm going to do. God, everything is such a mess. I can't take it anymore!" Ryan sighed in exasperation.

"Well, let me know when you figure it all out. Because Ryan, I am not going to spend my whole summer pining for you, while you're living with some other girl, the way I did last year. If you leave Ryan, we're done," Marissa stated sadly. A sob caught in her throat and she ran away in the opposite direction sobbing.

Ryan stared after her, he felt as if his heart were breaking. He knew that he should run after her, but his legs seemed paralyzed…he couldn't move them. He loved her, and he definitely didn't want to leave home again. However, that was life as Ryan Atwood. He always worried about others more than himself, and most of the time took on more than he could handle. Ryan was everyone's white knight, their saving grace. He had a Hero complex to live up to. If only he could put other people's feelings aside just once and do something for himself…he could resolve the issue and everyone would be satisfied with the outcome.

A/N: _I'm not really sure how I feel about this chapter. Did I handle the Ryan/Marissa scenes well? I tried my best to keep the characters true to their personalities…but it is just so damn hard for me to write Ryan, for some reason. The next chapter is going to be very exciting and dramatic (at least I think it will be). Don't worry folks, our couple will have the happy ending they deserve…but not until I put them through just a little more pain and suffering. Oh, I'm so mean to those characters. Anyway, please review and let me know what you think. Reviews are so rewarding to the author, so please do me a favor and if you're reading my story…drop me a line! Thanks, you guys rock:0)_


	10. Confessions, Apologies and Atlanta?

Disclaimer: Sorry guys, I still don't own them! Although, it's nice that we're able to borrow the Fantastic Four.

A/N: _I cannot believe how long it's been since I've updated! Shame on me… I'm sorry for taking so long to get this chapter up everyone, however I've had the most atrocious writer's block, and I've been so busy with school, and soccer. You might need to re-read chapter nine, in case you've forgotten what's been going on… I promise that I'll try to get the next chapter up as soon as possible, but please take it easy on me! I'm trying. :0)_

_**I-Believe-In-The-Butterflies: **Thanks so much for your review hun, it means a lot to me that you thought that I wrote chapter nine very well. I promise the hating, and the fighting will come to an end, very soon!_

_**Kursk: **Thank you for your kind review, and don't worry, Ryan will find a solution for his sticky situation. _

_**xGoingUnderx: **Aww, thanks a million for your sweet review! I agree, no one likes to see Marissa unhappy, myself included. I know that the awkwardness between them stinks, but I think it's only natural since they're going through such a rough time. I'm sorry that I didn't update as soon as you would have hoped…but please know that I really appreciated your review!_

_**Somebody's Dark Angel: **Thank you for taking the time to review. I am really glad to hear that you think that I'm having Marissa and Ryan handle the "Trey dilemma" realistically. I definitely wanted it to be believable. I apologize for the lack of Seth and Summer interaction. I believe that the next chapter will have much more of them in it! I have a hard time writing S/S scenes, therefore I stray away from them._

_**Katie: **Thank you for reviewing…it's always nice to have a new reviewer! I'm glad that you think the character's emotions are being portrayed well, and I'm sorry if you're disappointed that Ryan's the father, but things will work out in the end. You'll see… :0)_

_**KC-Chick: **Thank you so very much for your amazing review! I loved it, and I really appreciated the constructive criticism. Ryan is an extremely difficult character for me to write…he's not as bad as Seth, but come on…he's a freaking rock half of the time, and it's hard to imagine how he would react to being the father of Theresa's baby. I'm trying to write him more in-character, so please let me know if he was more himself in this chapter. You always make me smile with your awesome compliments, and I just wanted to let you know that your words are very encouraging!_

_**Rainygal: **Thank you for reviewing, I was very glad to hear that you enjoyed chapter nine! Yay, you thought Ryan and Marissa were (very) in-character? That's awesome, and I'm so happy that you thought so._

_**Crazymack69: **So, you're a Seth and Summer fan, but you're enjoying the RyRissa end of my story? That's awesome! I totally hope you convert once my story comes to an end. Of course, S/S are great too…I just love the Fantastic Four. Thank you for your helpful advice, I absolutely agree that a Sandy and Ryan convo is in order._

Marissa sat contently in the shadows of her safe sanctuary, also known as the lifeguard post. She was huddled up in a fetal position, her back pressed firmly against the solid wood of the structure. For a reason unknown to her, she always sought refuge in the same place. Marissa had hidden out there the entire summer before junior year, after Ryan had left. Ryan…yet again he was the cause of her seeking peace and solace on the beach. She had gone there immediately after hearing the news of Matthew.

Marissa sat staring out at the turbulent ocean, its fierce waves crashing along the shore. She couldn't understand how something so beautiful could be so threatening. It reminded her of the relationship she shared with Ryan. They had gone through some rocky times before, yet somehow they always managed to find a way back to one another. Although, she wasn't so faithful about their future anymore, there was a possibility of him leaving again. Ryan had even admitted that to her face. As much as it hurt Marissa to picture Ryan sharing a life with Theresa, it also made her love and admire him even more, because of his selflessness.

Marissa glanced down at the half-empty bottle of Vodka that resided in her hands. She unscrewed the lid, bringing the toxic beverage to her lips. Before she could take a swig of the liquid, Marissa caught herself. As usual, she was drowning her sorrows in alcohol. In fact, her drinking had caused many problems in her relationship, and she recognized that getting wasted wouldn't prevent Ryan from leaving her.

Angrily, she rose from her seat on the ground and marched towards the rough water. With all of her might, Marissa flung the alcohol into the sea, and watched as the bottle shattered, and dissolved into a thick puddle of sea foam. She sunk down in the sand, her legs feeling as wobbly as Jell-O. Hot tears stung her wind-burned face, as she was sprayed with misty saltwater.

Meanwhile, Ryan wandered around the Cohen house trying to find Seth, who was nowhere to be found. Ryan figured that he was still at the pier with Summer. He walked into the kitchen, looking for something refreshing to drink, when he noticed Sandy standing at the kitchen island. He was schmearing cream cheese over, what appeared to be an "Everything" bagel. Sandy looked up from his tedious task and smiled at Ryan.

"Hey kiddo, something on your mind?" he asked.

Ryan knew he would eventually have to tell Kirsten and Sandy the truth about Theresa and the baby. He sighed, deciding that it would be better to get it over with sooner, rather than later.

"Yeah actually…are you busy?" Ryan answered nervously.

"Well, I was just working on my masterpiece," Sandy smirked, pointing towards his breakfast. "However, I've always got time for you, kid."

Ryan smiled slightly, and some of his fear melted away. He sat down at the table and Sandy followed in suit.

"What's going on Ryan?" Sandy questioned, as he placed a thin layer of lox on his bagel.

Ryan clenched his hands together tightly, not sure of how to begin the conversation.

"It's about Theresa," he finally said.

"Oh yeah, how is she doing?" came Sandy's oblivious voice.

"Sandy, last summer when I returned home, it was because Theresa told me that she had lost the baby," Ryan started.

Sandy listened to him intently, not saying a word, waiting for the boy to continue.

"She lied to me," Ryan blurted out, once he found the courage to. "The baby is very much alive, and it turns out that I am the father."

Sandy pushed back his chair, and stood up. He began pacing around the room, his head spinning. He couldn't believe what he had just heard, as if Ryan hadn't endured enough drama, and now his life was falling apart again.

"I see. Now all of a sudden she wants you back in the child's life?" Sandy asked, his voice cracking with emotion.

"What am I supposed to do? I can't just let Theresa deal with this by herself," Ryan said defensively.

"You know, one of the many reasons that I am so proud of you, is because of your sense of responsibility. I'll tell you what you are going to do, you are going to finish your senior year, graduate with honors, get into a great college, and have a wonderful life," Sandy announced sternly, yet lovingly.

"What about Matt?"

"He can stay with us," Sandy offered.

"I can't ask you and Kirsten to do that for me," Ryan insisted.

"You didn't ask. I was the one who proposed the idea. Ryan, when are you going to learn that we're on your side, kid?"

"Sandy, as much as I appreciate…" he was abruptly cut off mid-sentence.

"I am not asking you anymore, I am telling you. No one leaves the Cohen house more than once. That goes for both you and Seth. Besides, what's in Chino? Who is in Chino, that's worth going back for? You can make things work here. Matthew—is that his name? He can live a better life, a safer one, away from Chino."

"It's not that I want to leave, please don't think that! It's just… I highly doubt that I will be able to convince Theresa to let Matthew stay with me, much less move to Newport. I don't want to leave this family, or Seth…Marissa," Ryan said forcefully. His head rested in his hands, and he hadn't felt such conflicted feelings since the day Trey had died.

Ryan felt a warm hand on his shoulder, and looked up to see Sandy hovering over him.

"Everything is going to be all right. I promise… Hey, why don't you invite Theresa and the little tyke over for dinner tonight? We can work out the arrangements over…why take-out of course!" Sandy smiled at his pseudo-son, gave him a pat on the back, and then exited the kitchen with his breakfast in hand.

Ryan took in a deep breath of air, and sighed. He knew what he had to do. He would call Theresa later; there was someone else he needed to attend to first.

Back at the beach, Marissa sat in the sand, her legs curled up towards her chest. She rocked gently in the wind, and stared out at the seemingly endless, vast sea. Suddenly, she felt another presence, and sure enough when she turned her head, she noticed Ryan sitting beside her. His brilliant eyes were filed with unspoken love and emotion.

"Ryan," Marissa whispered carefully. "What's going to happen to us?"

Instead of waiting for a response, her gaze drifted back to the water.

"I am so sorry Marissa, I'm such an ass. I shouldn't have ever let you think that I was leaving. I'm not going anywhere ever again," Ryan told her, his voice hoarse.

She quickly looked back at Ryan, her face holding an expression of pure shock, surprise and happiness.

"Oh, you don't know how happy that makes me! Do you really mean it…? But what about the baby?" she asked, her joy slowly fading away.

"Don't worry; I'm going to take care of everything. Right now, all that matters is _you _and _me_."

Suddenly Marissa fell into his arms, never wanting to let go. It was as if she were clinging to him for dear life. It had been so long since they had, had any physical contact, and it felt wonderful to be in one another's arms again. Their embrace heated up as their lips met in a searing, passionate kiss, which soon led to a steamy make-out session on the beach.

As Ryan deepened the kiss, Marissa gently pushed him away.

"Ry…we can't do this here," she muttered breathlessly.

"Right," he agreed, sitting up. "The pool house?"

Marissa quickly stood, and reached for Ryan's hand. They sprinted towards his car eagerly. As they arrived at the Cohen residence, Ryan realized that Sandy's car was missing and Seth was most likely with Summer. He smirked as he figured that they had the house to themselves.

Ryan hopped out of the vehicle, and Marissa followed after him, her hand in the back pocket of his jeans. Ryan opened the door to the pool house, his entire body tingling with excitement. The feeling diminished immediately when he looked up, and noticed a dark-haired young woman sitting on his bed.

"T-theresa?" he stuttered, silently cursing her for ruining his and Marissa's moment.

"Ryan. I hope you don't mind, Rosa let me in. I wouldn't have even shown up like this, except I have something important to tell you," Theresa said, all in one breath.

Matthew was sleeping soundly in his carrier, which rested on Ryan's futon. Marissa stood staring wide-eyed at the baby, and Theresa, realizing the reality of the situation.

"Oh Marissa, hi…I didn't see you there," Theresa replied, with an obviously insincere apology.

"Theresa, hey," Marissa managed to choke out.

"I hope you don't mind, but Ryan and I have something serious to discuss. Would you mind giving us some privacy?" Theresa asked as a sickeningly sweet smile plastered across her face.

"Anything you need to say to me, Marissa can hear as well. We don't have secrets," Ryan cut in, coldly.

"Very well," Theresa sighed in disgust. "This is so hard for me to do, but I have no other choice. You see…Eddie found out about our little affair, which resulted in Matthew. He's gone crazy; he won't stop harassing me, and refuses to leave me alone. I've tried everything, I even threatened to call the police, but he's ruthless. Ryan, I'm moving back to Atlanta. I had a good life there, and I'll be safer."

"What? You can't just leave! Are you forgetting about Matt?" Ryan asked, incredulously.

"I want him to stay with you, at least until I can get back on my own two feet. I know that the Cohen's wouldn't mind having him around. Ryan, you don't know how difficult this is for me, please… You have to understand that this is my only option. I need you to take care of Matthew for me. Raise him to be a good person," Theresa confessed, tears rolling down her cheeks.

"There has to be another way," Ryan stated, helplessly.

"There isn't," came Theresa's determined voice.

"You cannot just run away Theresa, he's _your_ son!" Marissa exclaimed, not believing the mayhem which was unfolding before her very eyes.

"This is none of your business," Theresa said, her voice raising an octave.

"Everything he needs is in this bag," she explained, holding up a blue diaper bag. "His schedule and clothing are in there. Basically anything else you could think of."

"If you leave,_ don't_ come back. He deserves better than that. Matthew doesn't need a part-time mother. You either stay and be a part of his life, or go and never return," Ryan remarked sternly.

Theresa nodded in compliance, and walked back over to her son. She placed a lingering kiss on his head, and whispered something inaudible in his ear. She then stood up, and approached Ryan and Marissa once more.

"Take care of my baby," Theresa practically begged, a sob catching in her throat. With that, she ran out of the pool house, the door slamming shut behind her.

Ryan stood stock-still for a few moments, then took a few steps towards his bed, and sat down. Marissa followed in suit. They sat quietly, not talking, absorbing the scene that had just occurred. Marissa took Ryan's hand and gently squeezed it in hers, all the while smiling at the sweet, sleeping infant.

"It's like you said, we'll get through this…together."

Ryan turned to face Marissa, grateful for her company.

"I love you," he whispered, leaning in to kiss her temple.

A/N: _For some reason that took all of the strength that I have, and my entire weekend, to complete this chapter. It's been in the back of my head for a while; I hope I did it justice. I also, threw in a twist…with Theresa leaving. At first I was going to have her go back to Chino, then I decided that the farther away she is…the better! I didn't want things to be too fluffy, just yet. Please review…I need to know what you all thought of this chapter, especially since I've been going through such excruciating writer's block. Also, this story is coming to a close soon. I'm not sure if I should end it here, or write one more chapter. Please let me know what you think. Thanks for reading…you all rock:0) _


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